HATKE: Joker steals sign from UK's Gotham village for its Batman links

London: Police are looking for a joker who targetted the sleepy Nottinghamshire village of Gotham to steal its road sign — because of its link to Batman.

Bat crazy: Cops believe that the thief is a fan of Batman

The quaint village, which shares the name of the superhero’s home city, has always been popular with tourists and comic book fans.

But this is the first time someone has gone as far as removing the village’s name sign.

Batman fans make the journey to the village so they can have their picture taken next to the sign on the nearby Nottingham Road.

Officers are investigating the theory that the thief may have pinched the sign because of its iconic name.

Gotham was first identified as the home of Batman by DC Comics in 1940.

Speaking about the theft, Nottinghamshire Police Community Support Officer Anthony Davies said: “It is of little scrap metal value, so it may be more to do with a prank, particularly given the name on it.

But, it is not a prank because it is going to cost Nottinghamshire County Council money to replace it. So I would ask anyone who knows where the sign is, to let us know.”